St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-25
ST. PAUL's GAS SUPPLY.
The Company That Gives Us Light
What They fl ave Done and
What They Will Do.

What They Will Do.
Thirty years ago-in 1s57-the st.
Paul Gas Light company was organized.
It was then an insignificant concern,
compared with its present great pro-
portions. The incorporates did not
dream. then, of an elegantly furnished
Office large enough for an auditorium,
such as they now occupy. But in time
St. Paul commenced to grow, and the
company grew with it. In 1850, shortly
after it was demonstrated that electric
lights were possible, a plant was put
in, and St. Paul Tor that portion of it
that wanted TO be- was lighted by the
electric arc. That was considered the
scientific tOp-nOtch in the way of IL
Illumination. But the incandescent was
invented and Immediately introduced
here by the company, who seemed to
be determined not to allow any city on
the face of the earth to be better lighted
than St. Paul. They could only put in
facilities, however; lighting the city
must lie done by the council. In
all their movements the company
have shown an interest in the pub
lie welfare which might be initiated 10y
gas companies in other older and larger
cities to the benefit of the dwellers
therein. 1t is possible, as has been
demonstrated in several gOodly-slZed
cities in Uncle Sans domain, to make
4 gas company nuisance. and stigma
on the unfortunate city's otherwise good
name. St Paul has been spared any
such embarrassment. The service has
been uniformly reliable, much more
than ordinarily free from annoying
'breakS." aud very satisfactory in other
ways. There are times when it is ut
terly impossible for gas company to
keep the service up to the standard. 1t
is then that the patience of the public is
tried. and anathemaS in all the colOrs of
the rainbow ShOWered upon devoted
heads. Finally the public come to I'M
derstand that the company were doing
all in their power to render good and
sufficient service.
The candle power of the gas was in
creased recently from sixteen tOtwenty-
five, an improvement that gained the
company the good will of every person
in the city who uses gas for lighting.
But this is only one of many improve
mentS made this year and contemplated
for IS. There has been expended dur
ing the past two years about S350,0O0 in
various improvements, including new
holder of 5000 cubic feet capacity at
the corner of Fifth and Olive, two
Springer cupolas for the manufacture
of water gas, and the addition of the in
candeScent light service. About fifteen
miles Of mains were laid. The conf
pany has facilities now for making
100000 cubic feet of gas per day, and
the average output is about 100000 feet.
During the carnival season this is in
creased to 100000 or more. There has
been an increase in 1887 of so per cent
in the gas supplied over that of 1886,
which is remarkable and highly compli
mentary to the company, as it shows
better than anything else that the gen.
eTal service has been satisfactory.
The coming year, still greater inn
prCVcmentS will be made. Arrange
lnentS are under way to entirely over
haul the electric light plant: $50 ThOmp
son house and arc, and 10000 WeSting
house incandeScent lights will be added
TO the capacity; and before next winter
the st. Paul Gas Light company will
have the most complete gas and electric
plant in the country. At present they
are running 400 are, and about LOCO in
candescent lights. The gas service will
also be extended next year, and from
fifteen TO twenty miles of pipe laid.
The officers of the company are too
we'll known to require anything more
than brief mention here. They are Gen.
II. II. Sibley, president; E. l. Frost,
vice president and general manager;
and Morgan Brooks, secretary and
treasurer. These men. honOred and re-
Spected by their fellow citizens, have
always the interest of st. Paul at heart.
No one, who values the truth,
will attempt to say that the st. Paul Gas
Light company, as represented i'll its eX-
ecutive officers. has ever neglected an
10 half, tho ttrlnr1 SnOll
help could be offered with any reason
able regard for its own interests. This
is in marked contrast with the course
pursued by the great majority of gas
companies. 1t is only necessary to live
q few months where some of the latter
operate to fully understand this and all
it implies: an experience that most per-
sons might be benefited by, in the way
of general knowledge. One especially
commendable act with which this COM
pany is to be credited was the lettering
of street lamps. This the company did
of its own free will, at its own expense,
and the expense was certainly consider
able. In various other ways and on
many different occasions the company
has shown true public spirit; not the
kind used OH dress parade, but the real,
genuine article-the essence, the soul
of Western enterprise stuff
that builds up cities, makes people hap
pier by its very existence, and turns
communities without ambition, without
life into thrifty business and social cen
tiers. That is the kind of enterprise St.
Paul needs when great undertaking,
like the carnival, for instance, is con-
sidered and begun. At such a time it
is well for the city that its only gas COM
pany is inclined to do its part.and more.
Altogether, st. Paul is fortunate in this
respect: and the people who use gas for
lighting should not be too hasty. when
the service happens to be faulty, and
allow their righteous indignation"
against the ''souIlesS corporation" to
overcome their better judgment. The
average citizen, in his calmer, cooler
moments, will say when he reads this
article, That's a fact! That's fact."